Modernity, characterized by rationalism, materialism, and the dominance of technology, has generated spiritual, moral, and existential crises in contemporary human life. This condition highlights the need to reinterpret Sufi teachings so that they remain relevant in addressing modern challenges. This study aims to analyze the concepts of ma‘rifah and fanā’ in the classical Sufi tradition and...
Bloy et al. [1] provide an important and methodologically rigorous secondary analysis of the Ketamine for the reduction of Alcoholic Relapse (KARE) trial, examining whether acute psychoactive effects mediate the therapeutic impact of ketamine in alcohol use disorder (AUD). Their finding that dissociative and perceptual effects did not mediate abstinence outcomes is clinically relevant, and...
Research SquareMarch 10, 2026Giammarco di Gregorio, Sophia Basset, Harjot Manmohan et al.
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Abstract Depression and anxiety affect one in five adults, with age affecting prevalence. While clinical trials suggest classic psychedelics (e.g., psilocybin, LSD) and non-classic psychedelics (e.g., MDMA, ketamine) may alleviate these symptoms, it remains unclear how these relationships function in naturalistic settings or how they vary across the lifespan. We conducted a cross-sectional...
The “God gene” hypothesis has attracted attention in the literature as an approach suggesting that religious and spiritual tendencies in individuals may have a genetic basis. Dean Hamer’s hypothesis claims that the VMAT2 gene may be related to a predisposition toward mystical experiences through its role in regulating monoamine neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine....
Abstract Background and aims Increased connectedness has been proposed as one mechanism through which psychedelics might reduce death anxiety. This study examined whether changes in connectedness—across intrapersonal, interpersonal, and transpersonal domains—were associated with changes in death anxiety following a significant psychedelic experience. Methods A retrospective cross-sectional...
This meta-analysis and systematic review examined the effects of psychedelic substances on death anxiety, specifically evaluating whether psychedelic experiences are associated with statistically significant reductions in death anxiety. A systematic search identified 8 studies suitable for meta-analysis and 10 additional studies for systematic review. Using a random-effects model, the...
Content analysis, discourse analysis, narrative analysis, and other widely used qualitative research methods are grounded in the interpretation of (typically linguistic) meanings. Yet when studying emotions, the phenomena that are often most intriguing and complex tend to be nonlinguistic—or even resist verbalization altogether. Bodily emotional experience and expression lose much of their...
Rationale: Ego-dissolution represents a key therapeutic mechanism in psychedelic-assisted therapy, yet current measurement approaches may inadequately capture its multidimensional nature.Objective: To develop and validate the Multidimensional Ego-Dissolution Assessment (MEDA) and examine substance-specific patterns across classical psychedelics.Methods: Items from three validated scales...
This review examines Ecstatic Wonder of Allamaprabhu, translated by Basavaraj Naikar, as a major scholarly and poetic contribution that brings the mystical vacanas of the 12th-century saint-poet Allamaprabhu to contemporary English readers. The volume, comprising 582 translated vacanas with critical commentary, is evaluated for its linguistic fidelity, interpretive depth, and philosophical...